The local GHA talent level for our young women is incredible! The fact that our local NWSL club cannot haul in said talent and field at the very least a mid table competitive team is mindboggling in scope.
Article on Orlando being not so well run as a club in the NWSL, to then turn the sinking ship around. From laughingstock to record holders: Orlando's NWSL journey - ESPN Imagine a cursed franchise or suffering fan base -- say, the Cleveland Browns, to name one easy example. Now imagine that team putting together the best season in league history, rattling off 23 games without defeat. What sounds unthinkable is reality for the Orlando Pride in 2024. The franchise that was once the laughingstock of the National Women's Soccer League is now the team everyone is chasing heading into the playoffs, and it is one of the best sports stories of the year.
And the fundamental problem with our clubs is they could have had Orlando's GM. She was here in Houston, she'd been a part of the Dash organization. She was highly qualified having been a player, a coach, a community leader, a business leader, etc, etc. When a candidate who turned the job down recommended her, Jessica O'Neill didn't even know who she was. That's who is running the organization and making decisions.
2024 NWSL Playoffs Home team first, times are CT Quarterfinal Round results: Friday, November 8 (1) Orlando Pride 4-1 (8) Chicago Red Stars Saturday, November 9 (4) KC Current 1-0 (5) North Carolina Courage Sunday, November 10 (2) Washington Spirit 2-1 (7) Bay FC (3) NJY Gotham 2-1 (6) Portland Thorns Semifinal Round is November 16-17.
2024 NWSL Playoffs Home team first, times are CT Semifinal Round: Saturday, November 16 (2) Washington Spirit v. (3) NJY Gotham 11:00 am CBS/Paramount+ Sunday, November 17 (1) Orlando Pride v. (4) KC Current 2:00 pm ABC The Final is November 23 at Kansas City, MO.
https://bsky.app/profile/theolloydhughes.bsky.social/post/3lawiobnsw22i This just posted. Story goes into detail on REBOOT at Houston Dash FC. Got it from BlueSky -- the hot alternative to Twitter. Tons of sports/soccer content is moving to BlueSky. I stopped using twitter long before the Muskovite took over. I'm trying BlueSky because it has done the biggest thing I believe social media should do: give complete control over "the algorithm" to the user. You could program your own if you wanted to. Opensource. Openstats. Strong blocking feature.
I understand the entire Bundesliga has jumped to BlueSky. Some publications are taking down their Twitter accounts (like The Guardian), and most (I think) are running both in parallel.
2024 NWSL Playoffs Home team first, times are CT Semifinal Round results: Saturday, November 16 (2) Washington Spirit 1-1 (pks 3-0) (3) NJY Gotham Sunday, November 17 (1) Orlando Pride 3-2 (4) KC Current Final Saturday, November 23 (1) Orlando Pride v. (2) Washington Spirit 7:00 pm @ Kansas City CBS/Paramount+
Did anyone catch Orlando's Marta and her double cut back run at the K.C. defense and then finish past a stranded goalie? It was sublime Marta!
2024 NWSL Playoffs Home team first, times are CT Final Saturday, November 23 (1) Orlando Pride 1-0 (2) Washington Spirit Orlando wins the double with their first league shield and championship.
For all you Dashers .... BlueSky link to post/article about ex-Dash coach Fran Alonso speaking for the first time. Doesn't say much in actuality. Cites confidentiality agreement. HDFC sure loves those confidentiality agreements. https://bsky.app/profile/theolloydhughes.bsky.social/post/3lbwtfkwyq22g
Two snippets that stand out to me. “However, when asked directly about his health and how he was feeling, Alonso responded by saying there "was not a health issue." He inferred that it was a miscommunication that led to that assumption about his health.” “Initially the Dash had said that Alonso was missing due to an "illness." This "illness" was never mentioned again by Houston after the first match that he was absent for, away to the Kansas City Current on June 27. Subsequently a "leave of absence" was the term the club used.” maybe this may be too naive on my part, but given that “illness” was only used once by the Dash I’m inclined to believe he’s being sincere about there being a miscommunication. It probably tracks for things with the Dash too.
Pretty thin for me to go on here, but the following quote makes it sound like he got himself a taste of Dynamo management/leadership and realized it was not a good situation: Pretty classic quote: "Uh ... things happened. Other things didn't happen."
I don't have great insight to his situation other than knowing that he was never ill. What little I have heard, however, would support your theory.
Reminder that while the Dynamos are lacking in some areas. The Dash are a whole other level of dysfunction. Dynamo dysfunction cubed.
The Equalizer a few seconds ago · Angela Hucles Mangano is the president of women's soccer for the Houston Dash. She left Angel City Football Club just last week as their former GM. READ MORE: https://equalizersoccer.com/.../houston-dash-hire-angel.../
Classic Dash hired. She was an absolute disaster with Angel City. In way over her head. Zero respect around the league. So, of course they hire her. Gives O'Neill another fall guy when things don't go well next year.
Im conflicted. I want to support because it’s our local club, but supporting will only continue the current level of absurd incompetence.